Is there some value of having a big air base in Korea? Yes, as a counterbalance to China and to keep track of Soviet naval activity out of Vladivostock but it is not worth the cost or risk of a PRK attack.

I'm ok with the Taiwanese having nukes. That'd pretty much end the threat of Chinese invasion. Indeed, I am OK with all of the smallish SE Asian states having a few nukes. Anyway, it's more or less inevitable. So it's best to plan for the day rather than waste so much effort shoveling against the tide.

What about the Kermans? It seems like they love strong leaders that stamp the floor and tell them what to do - and better yet, tell the Europe what to do and how to think so we can all be like them.

Bit like how some cretin in Parliament yesterday was demanding we stay in the ECHR to protect our rights.

What rights are those again?

Freedom of speech? nopeFreedom of expression? nopeSelf determination? nope, see the Oligarchy vs the People in the ongoing Brexit farce. Or the Catalans, this is the ECHR after all.Freedom of conscience? nope, see bakers and gay cakes, see what happens if you hold a Mohammed drawing contestFree press? nope, see state broadcaster and restrictive practices on private broadcastingFreedom of association? not really, see Antifa harassers. And bear in mind that Antifa harassers are often in receipt of public money, making it cross the boundary into state repression

In the preamble of the ECHR

Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is the achievement of greater unity between its members and that one of the methods by which that aim is to be pursued is the maintenance and further realisation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;

No doubt that goal, unlike all the others, will be held up as gospel.

And when it comes down to some actual conflict, they don't criticize the likes of Russia one bit for launching an invasion to a sovereign neutral country and using mercenaries and human shields and torture.

But when Ukrainians return fire to Russian units firing from within urban areas the Ukrainians get called "in violation of bla bla" and to "restrain from fighting back"; "turn the other cheek and take those barrages".

All of the EU related institutions are just a big fat joke which only act to repress native nationals.

I'm ok with the Taiwanese having nukes. That'd pretty much end the threat of Chinese invasion. Indeed, I am OK with all of the smallish SE Asian states having a few nukes. Anyway, it's more or less inevitable. So it's best to plan for the day rather than waste so much effort shoveling against the tide.

WASHINGTON — President Trump has written sharply worded letters to the leaders of several NATO allies — including Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada — taking them to task for spending too little on their own defense and warning that the United States is losing patience with what he said was their failure to meet security obligations shared by the alliance.

The letters, sent in June, are the latest sign of acrimony between Mr. Trump and American allies as he heads to a NATO summit meeting next week in Brussels that will be a closely watched test of the president’s commitment to the alliance. Mr. Trump has repeatedly questioned its value and has claimed that its members are taking advantage of the United States.

Mr. Trump’s criticism raised the prospect of another confrontation involving the president and American allies after a blowup by Mr. Trump at the Group of 7 gathering last month in Quebec, and increased concerns that far from projecting solidarity in the face of threats from Russia, the meeting will highlight divisions within the alliance. Such a result could play into the hands of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who is to meet with Mr. Trump in Helsinki, Finland, after the NATO meeting, and whose primary goal is sowing divisions within the alliance.

In his letters, the president hinted that after more than a year of public and private complaints that allies have not done enough to share the burden of collective defense, he may be considering a response, including adjusting the United States’ military presence around the world.

Continued at above link

_________________The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.- misattributed to Alexis De Tocqueville

No representations made as to the accuracy of info in posted news articles or links

One of the great strains on NATO is the question of who’s paying how much for what. But that’s not a new problem. Almost as long as the alliance has been around - 69 years - there’s been arguing over the bills. Germany has been a particular target of late, with the United States calling on the economic powerhouse to pay up. Kathleen Hicks of the Center for Strategic and International Studies offers some needed perspective.

During the cold war Finland was in a situation that it was not wise to show all defense expenditure to Moscow, so many things that are counted in the West as defense, was and still are labelled something else. For example farming tractors were used to transfer troops and equipment on forest roads. So farmers were encouraged to have tractors with certain capabilities, and that was counted as farming subsidies. But if I told you all, I'd have to shoot you.

_________________The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt

During the cold war Finland was in a situation that it was not wise to show all defense expenditure to Moscow, so many things that are counted in the West as defense, was and still are labelled something else. For example farming tractors were used to transfer troops and equipment on forest roads. So farmers were encouraged to have tractors with certain capabilities, and that was counted as farming subsidies. But if I told you all, I'd have to shoot you.

_________________The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt

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